Territory



.(No Model.)

A. J. BITTER. MEANS FQR CLOSING ENDS 0P CANS 0R R'EADILY OPENING SAME.

Patented May 21, 1895.

llNiTED STAT-Es PATENT 'Orricn;

ANDREYV JACKSON RITTER, OF MAMMOTH, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO G. H. BARNHART, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR CLOSING ENDS OF CANS ORREADILY OPENING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,545, dated May 21, 1895. Application filed February 15, 1895- Serial No; 533,580- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW JACKSON RIT- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mammoth, Pinal county, Territory of Arizona, have invented an Improvement in Means for Closing the Ends of Cans and Readily Opening the Same; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention relates to the class of devices for soldering or otherwise closing the ends of tin cans and which will permit of their being readily opened again.

My invention consists of the novel construe-- tion of the hermetically sealed and readily separable joint which I shall now describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a can, showing my fastening. Fig. 2 is a detail cross-section of same.

A is the body of a can having around its exterior surface, near its end, a small trough or channel a, which may be formed in any suitable manner, preferably by the turning over of the end of the can upon itself and then folding upwardly and outwardly the extremity as shown.

B is the cover of the can, the flange b of which fits down into the trough or channel a of the body.

The edge of the trough a is bent outward sufficiently to leave a space between it and the flange of the cover, in which to seat a piece of wire 0, of suitable metaL'said wire practically filling the space. Solder, represented by D, is now applied over the top of the wire and bridges the space between the two flanges above the wire, so that the joint is complete and closed.

To open the can, an end a of the wire, which is purposely left projecting, is grasped, and the wire is torn forcibly from its seat, the solder D, which is a thin layer, yielding readily. The solder being thus broken, the fastening between the cover andean is severed and the two may be easily separated. If the solder be too hard to prevent the wire frombeing easily pulled out by the fingers, it can be rolled around a lead pencil, pocket knife, or other small object and twisted. The can is in no way damaged by the opening, and can 'be used again. There is no danger of solder or soldering fluid getting into the can when being sealed, and no special key is required for the opening; also, the cover, having been removed, canbe replaced to form a sufficiently tight joint to protect the remaining contents of the'can, and, if desired, it can be again hermetically sealed.

This device is applicable to the closing of cans used for the preservation of vegetables; fruits, meats, &c., or for any other cans. It is equally applicable'to round or square cans.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A means for closing the ends of cans and readily opening the same, consisting of a trough or channel on the can-body formed by returning the edge of the can body parallel upon itself and then bending it upwardly parallel with the returned portion for a'short distance and then bending it outwardly,a cover for the body having a depending flange adapted to enter the channel, or trough between the returned portion of the edge of the can body and the upwardly turned portion thereof, a wire fitting said trough or channel and practically filling the space between the outer wall of the flange of the cover and the inner wall of the outwardly bent portion of the edge of the body portion and a breakable layer of solder bridging the trough or channel over the wire and connecting the wall of the trough or channel with the can cover flange.

2. A means for closing the ends of cans and readily opening the same, consisting of a can body having its edge bent downwardly and then upwardly parallel with the body to form a U-shaped channel or trough with its open end presented upwardly, and a can cover having a flange to enter the channel, said channel being enlarged at its upper open end by bending its edge outwardly whereby an essentially V-shaped space is formed between the adjacent walls of the can cover-flange and the outwardly bent portion of the trough or channel, a removable wire occupying the base of the V-shaped space and resting in contact with the outwardly bent portion of the trough or channel and the can body flange, and a breakable layer of solder over the wire and I bridging the V-shaped space over the wire and connecting the wall of the trough or channel with the can cover flange.

3. A means for closing the ends of cans and readily opening the same, consisting of the outwardlyfold ed and upwardlyand outwardly bent top of the can body forming an exterior encircling trough or channel, below the top of the can and with its open end presented upwardly, into which the flange of the can cover extends, a removable wire lying in said trough or channel and a breakable layer of solder bridging the trough or channel over the wire and connecting the wall of the trough or chan- I5 I nel with the can cover flange.

In witness whereof I have herenn to set my hand.

ANDREW JACKSON RITTER. Witnesses:

J. A. LESLIE, E. WV. CHILDs. 

